Let’s Talk – Affordable Therapy

Hey Y’all

In honour of Bell Let’s Talk Day I want to talk a bit about therapy!

At the end of last year I finally took some time to find a therapist. I knew for a while that I needed to get back into therapy but I kept putting it off for a number of reasons.

I’ve seen a number of therapists over the years and I have always been really open about going to therapy. Which leads to a lot of conversations with people. And something that keeps coming up is the cost, therapy can be extremely costly and a lot of insurance plans don’t cover enough or even at all.

I’d like to share with you a few resources I have found over the years that make it that much easier to get to therapy!

First things first, for all my Ontario residents, OHIP covers 12 free sessions with a mental health professional a year! So I highly recommend utilizing this! Call your doctor and inquire with them about it. I know my doctors office has a social worker on staff so patients are referred directly to them. And since the pandemic started sessions are being booked over the phone or over video chat.

Second resources I would like to share, again for my Ontario residents, Mind Beacon is offering a free 12 week therapist guided program! Their website also offers a number of free resources.

The Affordable Therapy Network is a fantastic tool for anyone living in Canada. You can search for therapists in your area who offer low cost rates and sliding scale. They also have great completely free resources on their site as well.

Affordable Therapy Network has a lot of student’s listed who are offering their services for a VERY reasonable price. And honestly, student therapists are a great option. Not only are you getting help but you are also helping someone further their career.

One thing I would like to point out, and they speak to this at the affordable therapy network, if you are in a financial position to pay full price for therapy i encourage you to do so. This allows therapists to actually provide low cost rates and sliding scale prices to those who need it.

Therapy is for everyone. You do NOT need to have any diagnosis. You don’t need to have some huge pressing issues to go to therapy. It’s healthy to just talk it out with a third party. And don’t let anyone belittle you for it. If someone tells you you don’t need to be going to therapy you can kindly tell them to go fuck themselves.

I digress. There you have it! A few options for affordable therapy. I really hope that this was helpful and maybe encouraged someone to start the process of finding a therapist!